Chapter 209: Secrets Beneath the Research Institute

Underground, Sixth Floor of the Research Institute.

The dense, silver-gray spirit energy alloy walls mirrored blurry silhouettes.

Beside Yenir, Deputy Director Wang Xiaotian hesitated as he glanced at the slender man trailing behind.

Silently moving like a phantom was a middle-aged man in a plain brown combat uniform, his unremarkable appearance leaving no lasting impression.

His blank eyes appeared to see nothing but Yenir.

According to protocol, the underground sixth floor permits entry only for a single Institute member accompanied by another member.

Clearly, the man following Yenir was not allowed to accompany him.

Yet after repeated hesitations, Wang Xiaotian struggled to find the words.

The reason was simple: while escorting this man past the identity scanner, the device flashed information marked as top-secret.

This meant that even they weren’t cleared to know his identity.

He was probably a guardian dispatched by the high command—a rank that seemed to be high-level Third-Stage, perhaps even nearing Peak Third-Stage.

Having never seen him before, Wang Xiaotian recognized this man as one of the military’s hidden assets.

A quiet sigh of awe escaped him.

Everyone knew the authorities valued Yenir, but having a top-tier guardian by his side was truly unparalleled…

Noticing Wang Xiaotian’s obvious discomfort, Yenir realized the other man was in a difficult position.

Pausing his steps, Yenir turned to the middle-aged man following him and spoke softly:

“Uncle Liang, this place is perfectly safe.”

“You can wait here for me.”

Like a zombie, Uncle Liang slowly raised his head, silently staring at Yenir and casting a cold, appraising glance at Wang Xiaotian.

An icy scrutiny passed between them.

After a moment, he slowly nodded in assent.

His mission was to follow Yenir’s every command and ensure his safety.

Until Yenir advanced to high-level Third-Stage, he served as Yenir’s “Path Guardian.”

Under his highest orders, he had the authority to eliminate anyone posing a threat to Yenir.

Seeing Uncle Liang pause, Yenir let out a quiet sigh of relief.

To be honest, he knew little more about him than that he was sent by the military. In Yenir’s estimation, the seemingly ailing man possessed a strength far beyond that of a mere high-level Third-Stage.

Having him in tow guaranteed safety, though it came with its own complications.

“Lord Yenir, I must apologize,” Wang Xiaotian began.

“The Military Department’s regulations are strict; we have no choice but to follow them.”

Wang Xiaotian felt a surge of gratitude as he saw Yenir acknowledge his predicament.

He had heard rumors of guardians like these—established two or three decades ago to protect certain individuals. They typically ignored protocol, wielding authority that was nothing short of terrifying.

Provoking such a presence would only ensure a pointless death.

………..

“Here we are, Lord Yenir.”

“Allow me to give you a brief overview. The Capital Military District currently has the following sword techniques on reserve:”

“Over 20 types for B-level and above.”

“891 types for A-level and above.”

“4 types for S-level and above.”

…

“If none suit your needs, additional skills can be sourced from other military regions.”

“But there aren’t likely to be many above the A-level.”

“Excluding those held by private factions, nearly every high-level skill unlearned in the Huaxia Battle Zone is right here!”

After his brief introduction, Wang Xiaotian’s expression glowed with pride.

He made no effort to detail the sub-B-level skills—Yenir’s status meant he couldn’t be saddled with worthless abilities.

If he acquired them, they’d only waste valuable skill slots, and knowing the high command, they’d have him undone in no time.

“Director Wang, skip those. Let’s go straight to the S-level skills.”

Watching Wang Xiaotian methodically open alloy lockboxes, Yenir wasted no time, signaling him to lead the way to the S-level area.

To his surprise, the Capital Zone still retained four S-level sword techniques—a count that exceeded his expectations.

S-level skills are rare, and exclusive sword techniques even rarer.

One had to admit, the official resources were indeed formidable.

On his own, even spending tens of millions of Credit Points wouldn’t secure an S-level skill manual. At that tier, money simply wasn’t enough.

“Click.”

In one swift motion, Wang Xiaotian opened twenty alloy lockboxes. Just as he was about to explain a few A-level sword techniques to Yenir, he paused in surprise.

Yenir understood his desire to see the S-level skills directly.

But should they proceed immediately? He hesitated, considering whether to advise caution.

Not for any dramatic reason—most S-level sword techniques stored here had issues. He planned to let Yenir first review the A-level ones.

With so many options available, surely one would be satisfactory.

“Lord Yenir, honestly, the gap between A-level and S-level skills isn’t that vast,” Wang Xiaotian remarked.

“More often than not, the skill that suits you is the most important.”

“For example, a Strength-Type Awakener would benefit more from a defensive stance. Even if he learned an S-level high-mobility skill, its effect wouldn’t compare to the impact of an A-level Earthforce.”

“You really should take a look at these first…”

His tone was gentle, but having studied countless skill combinations, the institute’s senior staff understood this deeply.

A skill’s value isn’t determined solely by its level—what matters most is how well it fits the user.

It wasn’t that he felt sorry for Yenir losing out on an S-level skill;

rather, compared to the scarce and often flawed S-level options, Yenir choosing an A-level would be far more advantageous.

Yenir simply smiled, unmoved, and insisted:

“Director Wang, let me check out the S-level skills first.”

It wasn’t that he wasn’t listening.

Yenir casually scanned the skills on display, quickly noting them down.

He fully understood Wang Xiaotian’s reasoning.

In fact, in a past lifetime, he had encountered a Peak Third-Stage Agility-Type Awakener who had made a deep impression on him.

During a dungeon run, that Awakener from the Northern European Battle Zone had instantaneously taken down a Third-Stage mutant with a single, rapid assault.

He was utterly astonished by the sheer power of a technique that appeared so understated…

but later learned that the technique in question was nothing more than a D-level Lazy Thrust.

Yes, a random, rapid thrust delivering a mere 0.1x damage bonus—a pathetic stabbing move.

A trash skill, yet its energy cost and cooldown were nearly non-existent.

The true transformation lay in that Peak Third-Stage’s innate talent.

His natural ability allowed him, provided his spirit energy and stamina were sufficient, to unleash a barrage of attacks without end.

With their combined effect, a Lazy Thrust bizarrely transformed into an almighty, defiant technique capable of 1,800 strikes per second…

“Alright then, please wait a moment. I’m now requesting to open the Seventh Floor’s pressure door.”

Seeing that Yenir wasn’t fully absorbing his words, Wang Xiaotian chalked it up to youthful impetuosity.

Though Yenir might appear mature in many ways, he was still young—and that was understandable…